


third watch

by Balthuza



Series: wine, spices and flames [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Gen, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:15:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24344101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Balthuza/pseuds/Balthuza
Summary: some conversations should happen, others should be forgotten. sometimes both is true.~~For the Dragon Age Weekly Writing Prompts. Prompt 6 “I heard you talking in your sleep,” & “It’s okay, I couldn’t sleep anyway.”
Relationships: Alistair & Female Warden (Dragon Age), Zevran Arainai/Female Warden
Series: wine, spices and flames [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1208496
Kudos: 6





	third watch

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt 6 “I heard you talking in your sleep,” & “It’s okay, I couldn’t sleep anyway.”

"I heard you talking in your sleep" is the first thing Bei hears as she wakes up. Alistair pokes the fire until it brightens up and doesn't turn when Bei gets up,untangling herself from Zevran's arms. The camp is still and quiet. Third watch was always like this, the odd hours when Ferelden itself seemed to be dozing off. Sten's bedroll is empty and set orderly in his usual spot - he does prefer to keep watch on the far end of the camp.

"Pulling double shifts now? Why didn't you wake me up?"

Alistair just shakes his head. "It's okay, I couldn't sleep anyway." He goes back to poking the fire, trying to coerce it higher until Bei rolls her eyes and flicks her wrist. It's a testament to the months they spend on the road that he moves away quickly enough to keep his eyebrows and just snorts.

"Talk." the warden commands, sitting down. There's water boiling over the fire, the quiet sound oddly calming.

"They're not nightmares for you" he finally says, and instantly starts to back pedal. "I mean, it doesn't sound like the nightmares. About the archdemon, I mean. You... Do you speak to it? Can you understand?"

She can hear the wavering in his voice. Is it jealousy? Fear that the calling will take her that much sooner than planned? She can read very little in the tired slump of his shoulders as he sits next to her. He looks very young, and very tired.

Somewhere behind them there's a snore, loud enough to put both of them on edge, before they realise it's actually Wynne's night symphony.

Alistair snorts.

"Yeah, you know what, never mind. Stupid question, I guess. You can just go back to sleep, Leliana will take over soon from me."

"It's not the archdemon. My dreams" she clarifies after Alistair turns around to look at her, with visible confusion. "They're not the wardens' nightmares. It's... Demons, I guess. It's complicated."

"You mean like, trying to possess you?"

"No. Trying to be me. Same result, different thing" she can see Alistair's questioning look, but she already feels like she said too much. There's a long moment of silence.

"After the elf in the ruins, the one in the gem... The memories changed something" she finally says, feeling like she's sharing a secret. Alistair very clearly has some opinions but he decides against sharing them just then. "I don't mean the old language, or the magic. It's more like... A door has been opened. In my head. And sometimes I can see... Dreams." She shakes her head. "I'm not making any sense, I know. Sorry."

"Do you mean like, our dreams?" Alistair asks bit louder then he intended, visibly upset. When Zevran stirrs he freezes for a second before relaxing again as the elf mutters something and turns in his sleep. 

Bei keeps her eyes on the fire. It holds no advice. 

"No, nothing like that. More like... Shards. Like when you scry. Places, people... Spirits. Demons. It's like trying to get me to be... Something. I don't know. Like giving you a sword and a knowledge to make you into a swordsman. Only less clear. I don't know what it's trying to make me be, but I'm not sure... I'm not sure if there's a place to be me between all of the things I'm supposed to be." Bei shuts up, instantly irritated with herself for letting her mouth run. Alistair, wisely, says nothing, as the fire roars, seemingly entirely unnoticed by Bei." Forget I said anything and go to sleep. I'll finish the watch." Her Wisp moves erratically through the clearing already, as Bei checks and strengthens the wards Wynn put on the place in the evening. 

Alistair does not argue. Instead he slowly puts his hand on Bei's shoulder, secretly marveling on the contrast, on how thin and small the shoulder seems to be, before remembering that it's the same person who punched darkspawn hard enough to make its ear land by its eye. 

"I forgot already. But you know, I do tend to have terrible memory, if you need someone to just not listen to you and then forget entirely you said something, you know where to look for me." 

Bei huffs and moves away, letting Alistair's hand fall down. He tries not to take it personally as he prepares his bed roll without any further conversation. 

It's only when he almost falls asleep he hears from her again, so quiet it's barely audible over the fire. 

"Thank you. I might take you up on it, one day."

Alistair has no nightmares that night. 

  
  



End file.
